NDP leader Jack Layton has proven he can get things done in a minority government. But would he be effective as head of a majority? His task in this election campaign is to convince Canadians he would. He could start by pointing to the gains he has helped his party make.
Layton was elected leader of the NDP in January 2003. By then, he had already made his mark in Canada's social democratic party.
As a political science professor based in Toronto, Layton developed ties with local politicians and soon ran for office himself. He served on both Toronto City Council and Metro Toronto Council in the 1980s. After he was elected to the former in 1988, Layton and a group of reformists held sway. It marked the first time a coalition of New Democrats and independents controlled the council.
After becoming leader of the federal NDP party 15 years later, Layton took aim at the Liberal government, dismissing its policies as too conservative. He also made an effort bolster his party’s popularity in Quebec. Sure enough, the NDP was surging in the polls within a few months.
In the 2004 federal election, the party won 19 seats in the House of Commons, two fewer than with Alexa McDonough at the helm in 1997. However, it won 15 per cent of the popular vote, its best result in 16 years.
With the Liberals having lost their majority in that election, Prime Minister Paul Martin sought NDP support to form a minority government. Layton offered the support in exchange for an increase in social spending and the cancellation of proposed corporate tax cuts. Martin agreed, but fierce opposition led to two non-confidence votes. Both were defeated and Layton’s goals were achieved.
The NDP made further gains in the last federal election, in 2006, increasing the party’s total House of Commons seats to 29.
In the current minority government, the ruling Conservatives can pass legislation with the support of the Liberals or Bloc Quebecois just as easily as with the NDP. Regardless, Layton’s influence remains strong.
FAST FACTS
Name: John Gilbert Layton
Occupation: Professor, activist
Born: July 18, 1950, Montreal, Que.
Hometown:: Toronto, Ont.
FYI: Layton comes from a long line of politicians. His father, Robert Layton, was a member of the Liberal Party in the 1960s and 70s then served as a PC MP and cabinet minister in the 1980s.